


Dusk

by Lyrishadow



Series: Counting the days [2]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27908758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow
Summary: What makes a good soldier? Someone who can follow orders? Someone who picks up the pieces? Or someone able to stand and fight when confronted with their worst fears?
Series: Counting the days [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043658
Kudos: 1





	Dusk

The powers that be hadn’t intended to work her zero-g training to be held on Arcturus, but since it was the allocated location for their group of trainee marines she was surprised to find herself in space. Acturus was a large station near the relay that connected them to council space.   
Piper was sent with two others to undertake the training. Marines named Graham and Flinders.   
Graham had been excitable since the first day Shepard had met him, everything was new and interesting, every story a person told was met with wide-eyed enjoyment, if he had an opposite Marine it was the quiet Australian, Flinders. Flinders was dark-eyed, with thick dark eyebrows that seemed to sit like storm clouds. Flinders reminded her of Finch, and she hated him.  
"This is so exciting," Graham exclaimed almost literally bouncing as they suited up for their first live-fire low gravity training.   
"Settle down Graham," Piper responded, " No point being in space with a weapon if you are all over the place."  
"Mate" Flinders voice was cold," You know if you miss the target you will kill someone."  
Graham looked at Piper who gave a short nod. Flinders had said it coldly but it was true.  
"Ok. I don't want to kill anyone." Graham sounded terrified now.  
"Look, if we do what we have trained to do all will be okay." Piper was smart enough to balance the two extremes, she felt Flinders smirk behind them, he had intended to scare both of them.  
"I have three marines on deck, Shepard, Finders, and Graham." Their instructor was a major, and they were very aware that they were just privates.  
"Yes Sir," replied in unison.  
"Before you are sent into the live-fire course, we are going to have you train in a pod. Close quarters will improve your teamwork."   
Shepard did her best not to sigh and was quick to salute as they were sent to the pod. Escape pods were used for training when the other areas were already full. They gave the right level of risk and forced a group to work together or kick each other in the face. 

Something went wrong. About ten minutes after they entered the pod, Flinders was scowling as he maneuvered his way to the window, and Graham was struggling to get his balance. Shepard felt the pod move.  
"That is not meant to…" She gasped, then yelled at Graham as the pod picked up speed.  
" Anchor yourself quickly."   
"Why are we moving?" Flinders asked as if Shepard knew the answer.  
"Unknown." She made her way to the window " but we are heading towards an asteroid."  
"Helmets?" Graham asked, looking less excitable and more unconcerned. Apparently, he was sensible under pressure.  
"Yes, be ready for low oxygen." Shepard stated "Flinders?"  
The man had frozen, his face pale. He glanced at her and she saw it clear as day, the man was afraid.  
"Flinders?" Shepard grabbed her helmet and shoved it on, reaching down to grab the Australian's hesitating only a second before she pushed it over his head.   
"Graham, hold on and brace for impact," Shepard ordered pulling Flinders down from near the window and anchoring her legs, so she could use her arms to protect the terrified man.  
The landing was rough, the asteroid was one of the ones they had mined out for building the station. Once they stopped, Shepard took stock. Graham was fine, Flinders was still struggling and Shepard knew her right arm was broken.  
"Ok." She breathed through the pain. " Graham, take out the distress flare, we are going to head to the surface and hope they can see us from there "  
"What about him?" Graham pointed at Flinders who was silently staring straight ahead.  
"Here's hoping basic stuck in his head." Shepard murmured then turning to Flinders she yelled "Time to move Marine, follow along behind Graham, now, move."  
"Yes ma'am" Flinders replied faintly.   
"Ok Graham, let's get to the surface, with any luck the housing is occupied." Shepard was grateful that years on the street had taught her to live on the adrenaline of these moments, but she also knew they needed a way out before the pain caught up.  
Fortunately in the scheme of enemies, they may meet on an asteroid which was in the shadow of the entire human fleet they were reasonably safe. Some space moles existed here and there but were easily gotten rid of with one hand biotics. Graham had glanced at her with a frown.  
"Didn't know you were a biotic, Shepard, didn't know they let you in with the regular marines."  
"Worry about that back at the station, the less we argue the more air we save." Shepard was not sure what to make of either of the marines in front of her, she recalled rumors that Flinders had survived a ship crash, and she understood his bravado and his fear, but Graham was one of those who played a role, when it was clearly not his nature, playing the excitable rookie was either a trick or a reflex and she was not sure which.  
When they made it to the surface she ordered the flare set off. If their luck held, the habitation module would be active. They hit the button for the door and entered the airlock, oxygen filling the air, as they were able to take off their helmets.  
Finally able to use medi-gel as an interim measure Shepard was able to think straight, and realized they needed more information.   
"This unit is active," Shepard checked her Omni-tool "Flinders, Graham stay put while I check further in to see who is here."  
"Aye aye," Graham replied crouching down in the shadows, pulling Flinders with him.

"So we can expect the shipment of sand then?" A voice was asking as Shepard slipped into the next room, crouched behind a crate. "Not sure we agreed to wait this long, we are too close to Acturus."   
"Boss?" A voice from the doorway, that made two smugglers.   
"What?" She heard Graham's voice then " Let me go."  
" Two of them." The guard said.  
"Marines from Acturus? Why?"  
"To catch you of course." Well, Flinders had recovered, sufficiently at least, she would have to refer him for a Psych evaluation.  
"Yeah, there are four other marines, left of center but heading your way," Graham said cryptically. "Our Major is right in the middle."   
Four guards on the left, the boss to the right in the room. She knew using her biotics would help contain the situation. She balled up her fist ignoring the stab of pain through her broken limb.   
One singularity to the left all the guards began to float and scream. The boss in the center had his back to her when she stood, her eyes and skin glowing with her biotics.   
"Be a good time to stand down Zack." She used his name and he turned and stared.  
"Piper?" He backed up, terrified " you were killed, Finch said he dealt with you..."  
"Oh so killing me was planned?" Piper Shepard stared at the man who she thought she had once trusted." I left Zack, I am an Alliance marine."  
" What the hell did they do to you?" He had backed up to a wall. His eyes were wide with fear.  
"I was always able to.." she felt a shift in the dark energy that she pulled around her.   
"You can let him go now," a familiar authoritarian voice stated.   
Turning and saluting Shepard shook her head "Ma'am, I have done nothing to him."   
"I see." The Major used a ball of dark energy in her palm carefully flicking it up and down, like a mage with a fireball, she eyed Zack "Are you scared of Shepard?"  
"Ghost, she can't be alive...I.." Piper was smart enough to back off. Her biotics faded, as five other marines walked in and took charge of the guards and Zack.  
"Are you okay Shepard?" The major asked. Shepard felt light-headed, the pain returning in force.  
"Broke my arm, Ma'am." She stated as she fainted.

By the time she woke up in the med bay back on the station, Acturus was buzzing, apparently, they had been trying to catch smugglers for months, careful sting operations had failed to do what three marines had accidentally done. How the pod had been set off was revealed to be a prank by one of the other marines, who had forgotten that there were cameras everywhere. The marine in question denied knowing the three were on board. Cameras inside the pod, which was retrieved and examined, showed them what had happened.  
Due to the video Shepard was suggested for a medal. She had selflessly saved a fellow marine, and taken leadership of the small group. 

Admiral Steven Hackett was reading over the report from Acturus, he had Shepard's file in front of him, frowning at the grainy photos from inside the pod. She had come to his notice before, almost before she was Alliance. Her omni-tool, which they had given back to her, had been of great interest. It was now the basis of an upgrade for the tech officers. He had also read her file from training. She was good, one of the best soldiers they had seen in some time.  
Shepard, he noted turned 19 in a few months. Hackett gave a grim smile, she would receive notice on her birthday, he flagged her for N school, the highly challenging special forces school, she had proven herself capable, since her boots had hit the training ground. It was a gift that would make or break her.


End file.
